Many scholars have conducted visual analyses of urban skylines, but little attention has been paid to the quantitative measures regarding specific design elements within the skyline. This article aims to help urban designers and regulators improve the skyline and investigate which factors can make urban skylines more pleasant for people. Computer generated images of skylines are tested for three factors including greenery, layering, and landmarks. For the data collection, a questionnaire was used, as one of the simple and effective methods to gather results. The authors use statistics as a method of measuring the degree of people’s preferences. The study finds that the proportions of landmarks in the overall skyline, the height of layers, and the percentage of greenery deserve special attention. The authors also discuss the current problems of skyline design in typical Chinese cities according to the above findings. Many scholars have conducted visual analyzes of urban skylines, but little attention has been paid to the quantitative measures regarding specific design elements within the skyline. This article aims to help urban designers and regulators improve the skyline and investigate which factors can make urban skylines more pleasant for people. Computer generated images of skylines are tested for three factors including greenery, layering, and landmarks. For the data collection, a questionnaire was used, as one of the simple and effective methods to gather results. The authors use statistics as a method of measuring the degree of people’s preferences. The study finds that the proportions of landmarks in the overall skyline, the height of layers, and the percentage of greenery deserve special attention. The authors also discuss the current problems of skyline design in typical Chinese cities according to the above findings.